Thesis
Chinese undergraduates’ perceptions of L2 learning and strategies in emergency online teaching : a case study in a central China university in times of Covid-19
- Creator
- Rights statement
- Awarding institution
- University of Strathclyde
- Date of award
- 2024
- Thesis identifier
- T16997
- Person Identifier (Local)
- 201960756
- Qualification Level
- Qualification Name
- Department, School or Faculty
- Abstract
- Guided by Vygotsky‘s sociocultural theory, this dissertation presents a case study exploring the perceptions of Chinese undergraduates‘ second language learning and strategies used in emergency online teaching at H University in Central China during the first lockdown period of the Covid-19 pandemic. By using the sequential mixed research method in this study, I first carried out an online questionnaire with 612 undergraduates for quantitative study, and then interviewed 12 questionnaire respondents for qualitative study and three English teachers for triangulation. This research concerned the undergraduates‘ perceptions towards emergency online teaching and their strategies in online learning; conducted variance analysis between different learner groups, including groups with distinct genders, majors, and English levels; made correlation studies among learners‘ perceptions, strategies, and their English scores in the lockdown semester, and explored challenges for the respondents‘ emergency online English learning as well. The sociocultural theory advocates a learner-centred teaching approach and regards language learning as constructed socially through interactions with others. Concerning the respondents‘ perceptions relating to emergency online teaching, this research used the notions of online learning readiness proposed by Warner et al. (1998) and expanded five-dimension online learning readiness advanced by Hung et al. (2010), which include self-directed learning, motivation, computer/internet self-efficacy, learner control and online communication self-efficacy into seven, by adding the respondents‘ trust and appreciation for emergency online learning. As for online learning strategies, this research used Oxford‘s six-dimension taxonomy of language learning strategies proposed in 1990 as the key reference, including direct strategies of memory, cognitive and compensation strategies, and indirect metacognitive, emotional and social strategies. The research results indicated a number of interrelated findings. Firstly, among the seven dimensions of the undergraduates‘ perceptions, the mean value of motivation for emergency online teaching was the lowest. Secondly, for the respondents‘ online learning strategies, they used cognitive strategies and compensation strategies more frequently, but social strategies the least. Thirdly, females, arts students and high-scoring respondents in general had higher English scores and smaller variance in scores than their counterparts of males, science students and low-scoring ones. Fourthly, the respondents‘ perceptions towards emergency online teaching as a whole showed significant positive correlation with their online learning strategies at 0.01 level. Fifthly, dilemmas in emergency online teaching, such as the migration of teaching approach from student-centred to teacher-centred and less online communications between teacher and students were widespread. In addition, neither teachers nor their students were prepared for emergency online teaching and learning when the pandemic emerged, and the technology they used was not up to the standards required for the emergency online teaching to take place in a coordinated and effective manner. Finally, myth of educational technology was disillusioned, as technology alone was unable to transform education, but enlarged the gap of education equity. The study is significant mainly on a number of levels. It supports sociocultural theory, makes contribution not only to the research contents of the undergraduates‘ L2 learning perceptions and strategies in emergency online teaching circumstance, but to the research results of the respondents‘ low online learning motivation, dilemmas in emergency online teaching and disillusions of the myth of educational technology. This study yields pedagogical implications useful for future L2 online teaching and makes methodological contributions by using a mixed research method and teacher interviewees as triangulation in a case study. Based on the results of these findings and enlightened by sociocultural theory, the research outlines the following pedagogical implications for future second language online teaching. It should be student-centred to encourage learners‘ learning motivation and interests. Teachers should emphasise social interaction between teacher and learners or among peers, design more online courses and activities to familiarise learners with online education and provide learners with training for online learning strategies. In addition, teachers should prepare for future potential emergency teaching approaches so as to develop online second language teaching better.
- Advisor / supervisor
- Ivancheva, Mariya P.
- Huang, Alan
- Resource Type
- DOI
关系
项目
| 缩略图 | 标题 | 上传日期 | 公开度 | 行动 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
PDF of thesis T16997 | 2024-06-19 | 公开 | 下载 |